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Welcome,

There Be Monsters: Harnessing the Power of Community-Informed Development for The Long Dark

Speaker(s):

Raphael van Lierop

Company Name(s):

Hinterland Studio

Track / Format:

Independent Games Summit

Overview:

Community has never played such a significant role in determining the success or failure of game studios and projects. Through tools like Kickstarter and Steam Early Access, developers can gather critical feedback and life-saving financial resources as they continue to refine their games. Pick-up on YouTube and Twitch can make the difference between yet another game that goes unnoticed, and the next big hit. However, involving the community in the development, and funding, of your game project is not without its risks. How do you hold on to a clear vision while also being open to feedback? How do you balance responding to community requests and being firm enough to avoid having the game change around the whims of a vocal minority? How do you deal with the "entitlement culture" that sometimes arises out of this development approach? How do you encourage positive engagement and diffuse the negativity that can spread like a cancer through a community? Industry veteran Raphael van Lierop will share some of his experiences heading up Hinterland Studio and leading the development of their acclaimed debut eEarly Access survival experience, The Long Dark.